“Aloha is the key word to the universal spirit of real hospitality, which makes Hawaii renowned as the world’s
centre of understanding & fellowship. Try meeting or leaving people with Aloha. You’ll be surprised by their
reaction. I believe it and it is my creed” – Duke Kahanamoku
Aloha. Last month Schadd and I were fortunate enough to enjoy a one week holiday in beautiful Hawaii. Having been
there before and having thoroughly enjoyed the experience my expectations for this latest trip were high. I was not
disappointed. Waikiki Beach, the weather, the chicken wings at Dukes (why does everything taste better deep fried?), the
people and the service. All of it – perfect. Faultless.
Over the following 7 days I discovered two things. Firstly, it is possible to eat your body weight in fish tacos and secondly
the service from the hospitality staff in comparison to ours is well, no comparison. There was not a single instance where
we were not impressed by just how pleasant, warm, nice and helpful the staff were. Everywhere. It’s easy to think that if
you spent your day serving cocktails to sunny, holidaying, happy people whilst overlooking one of the world’s best beaches
then you too would do so with a smile on your face and maybe this played some part in why the service was so good.
Additionally you have to wonder what impact the tipping culture has on this. But perhaps it’s because the service we have
become accustomed to is so average that anything beyond this really stands out. Before I go any further I will say that
there are plenty of places where I shop and eat and the service is great but there are equally the same amount of places
where it is nothing but a bit blah. I can go to Coles at New Farm and be welcomed like a long lost friend by the customer
service lady who dresses up in all manner of costumes (just wish she wouldn’t sing the “down down” song) only to then get
to a check-out 20 minutes later and be regarded as an interruption to ones’ day.
Back in Hawaii and blissfully enjoying those chicken wings at Dukes, I would often watch the staff and the way they
interacted with the customers and with each other to see if I could work out what it was that motivated such impeccable
service. Aside from noticing that they all had lovely tans, I also noticed that management seemed to always be about. Not
in a “micro managing, what are you doing and why kind of way” but in a way that seemed to make the staff feel supported
and accountable. After breakfast each day there was a group catch up with a manager leading the way and a manager
was always on the floor, clearing plates, serving drinks and chatting to the guests. Therein lies one clue. Lead by
example, be present, act as a role model, train, provide feedback and keep training. When the going gets tough and
business is suffering it’s no secret that the training budget is one of the first to be cut. Yet you would think that more than
anything during the difficult times in business if there is one thing you can control it is the quality of service that your staff
provide. Goodness knows that no-one can control the economy but you can damn well do what you can to ensure your
people are wowing those they do come in contact with. Service isn’t just about smiling and being polite but it’s ensuring
that you do what you say you are going to do, you follow up and you work hard to exceed the expectations of your
customers or clients. Admittedly, it’s hard to do any of this if you aren’t passionate about what you do. Therein lies a
second clue - find your passion.
There are usually two sides to every story and the other aspect to all of this is how we treat those who are paid to service
us. That old gem, “Treat those the way you wish to be treated.”
A Fortune 500 CEO calls this the Waiter Rule. You can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she treats the waiter.
How others treat the General Manager or the CEO says nothing but how others treat the service staff says everything. The
waiter rule doesn’t just apply to wait staff but can apply to the Coles check-out operator or the receptionist at the dentist
office. I know of one employer who as part of his recruitment process takes potential employees out to a café setting
under the guise of a second interview. It is a second interview but the real test is how the candidate interacts and treats
the staff at the café. It is a simple test of one’s character.
No one is perfect and we all have days that all you want to do is to pay for your coffee and skip the niceties but wouldn’t it
be nice if we were all a bit nicer?
(By the way, if you are fortunate enough to be heading to Hawaii anytime soon, say hi to Duke for me and order a side of
the chicken wings.)
Tracey Montgomery
www.puresource.com.au